Harry Potter and the Memory of the Past: Epilogue
by bex27
Summary: Before DH was released I started writing my own version of the seventh book. It finished with an epilogue, which was how I originally percieved the Harry Potter series ending. It is seen through Ginny's eyes, nonDH compliant. Reviews gratefully recieved!


**Epilogue**

The Last Memory

_That was all it was now, a mere memory. What may have seemed so big at the time, is no longer big, it is just another event in the past. The saviours of the world become just another notable name in books, forgotten for the most part, coming alive occasionally, and then slipping back into the shadows. But the people they love, and the people that loved them, never forget..._

The sun gleamed, the polished stones shining, their tenderly carved inscriptions marking six feet above the position of their occupants' eternal resting place. It was empty so early in the morning, but this was the time that she liked to come most of all. Her hair shone like a fire, her eyes surveying the area, overcome with emotion that welled up inside her as she moved gracefully, glancing up for a moment at the great castle that stood silently on the hilltop. She came to a stop in front of a modest gravestone, and crouching down traced the words with her finger, unable to contain her emotions, the tears slipping down her cheeks.

_Mr Harry Potter, never was a friend so true, never was a hero so brave. We commemorate him in his true home, even though his body lies not here, for it was his own life he took for those of the ones he loved, to step beyond the veil._

Ginny stood up and turned away, as though ashamed to show her tears even though no one was there. She took out her wand, there was no secrecy now, the divide had been breached in the last battle. Pointing it at the grave, she whispered something under her breath, and a shower of flowers fell artistically over the ground by her feet. She walked quickly away, Hermione had told her repeatedly not to come, it was still too painful, yet she persisted. As she embarked on the trek back to Hogwarts Castle, she wondered if Hermione had once again been right.

But the thought didn't last long. Though the battle was many years ago now, his last moments were still fresh in her mind.

"_It's the only way!" Harry said softly after a pause, staring straight at the veil. "He'll follow me, and you can escape, it's only him and me left now, it's me he wants."_

"_No," Ginny said, tears falling fast from her cheeks. "No there must be another—"_

"_Listen to me," Harry cut across her, putting his hands on her shoulders and giving them a little shake. "You promised that you'd help me do whatever it takes to stop him, you said you'd stick by me!"_

"_But you can't do this to me!" Ginny cried, twisting out of his arms and turning away. Harry turned away too, and for a moment, forgot the great trial that lay ahead._

"_I'm sorry," he said finally, and she turned around. He looked back, taking off his glasses and handing them to her, then moving away from Ginny, away from Ron and Hermione, away from life and into the eternal life that followed. Ginny watched him enter walk up to the veil, and wait by it, looking purposeful, and unafraid. Her heart skipped a beat as she slunk into the shadows and the door was flung open._

"_Are you ready now Potter?" Voldemort said in his cold high voice, walking into the room. "Of course you are, you destroyed my Horcruxes, or at least you think you did…"_

"_What are you saying?" Harry said quietly, looking up to stare into the ugly snake-like face. "I got them all, all six!"_

"_Ah Potter, but you are just a half witted insect, you didn't realise that it was seven Horcrux, not seven fragments of soul. You alone should know where the most important one is…"_

_Ginny realised in a flash, Voldemort was staring almost hungrily at Harry's face, and Harry took a step backwards in shock._

"_You mean, you mean me?" he said quietly._

"_Of course not you stupid boy, just a part of you, there is a part of me in a part of you—" Voldemort replied, sneering. _

Ginny touched the rusted hinges on the door, smoothed her hands over the heavy wrought iron, not wanting to open it, but knew that she had to. She had to say goodbye to Hogwarts. The battle had been the end of one chapter; this was the end of another. She knew nothing of what lay beyond, except that it couldn't be any worse than before, she had to look forwards, as everyone else had done so long ago. The Malfoys, so inexplicably returned to good and Snape, the double agent, Dumbledore, Sirius, McGonagall, Harry. All dead, wiped off the face of the earth, sinking into mere memory…

She remembered the other reason she had come back to Hogwarts, what was it that Harry said? Before they went into the battle? Near to the visitor's entrance to the ministry? The pensieve, one of the last things he ever said to her.

"_Ginny, you know that the end is near, you knew the dangers you took when you decided to stick by me, last summer," Harry said urgently, his eyes looking directly into hers. "But if you survive and I don't—"_

"_Harry—" Ginny cut across him heavily, he put a hand on her shoulder._

"_No listen to me!" he exclaimed. "I have my goodbye in the pensieve, my last memory. If I don't survive, you have to live for me, let me live on in you. Never forget, go to the pensieve as soon as you can bear." Her eyes were blurred with tears, and she rubbed them furiously, following him and Luna into the visitor's entrance, Hermione and Ron had already apparated but somehow, Harry didn't want to, and of course with all the chaos of the year so far, Ginny and Luna had never been taught. The cool female voice they knew so well was replaced by the cold, high voice that they feared. Harry gripped both of Ginny and Luna by their arms and they apparated directly into the Department of Mysteries._

"_Wha—" Luna said, blinking and looking around dazed, as Harry and Ginny moved quickly out of the room they had landed in, the Brain Room…_

She creaked open the door, a familiar face called out from behind her.

"Ginny!" Neville puffed his face purple from the exertion of running up the steps. He was now one of the most respected men in the ministry, but as he preferred to stay in the office, consequently he was even more unfit than he had been at Hogwarts.

"Neville," Ginny said, a smile breaking out on her face. "What brings you here?"

"I… I…" Neville said, his face closing up. "I had to say goodbye, I can't believe that Hogwarts would fall into ruin like this."

"It's not in ruin yet, there are still some of magical protections left." Ginny said softly, staring up at the great walls. She took a step inside, turning to look back at Neville. He opened his mouth to speak.

"Bu—"

"I'm sorry, but this is something I have to do on my own. Go to the common room, talk to the portraits, but I have to do this on my own…" Ginny said, her eyes blurring again, and she turned away for the last time to go to the office, approaching the gargoyles and whispering the password, one of the last things he had said to her.

"I'm sorry…"

Stepping on the spiral case, she rose upwards, her tears drying on her face. Tumbling forwards into the office, it was almost empty except for the ancient portraits of the old Headmasters and the desk with the pensieve on it. She rocked slightly on the spot, then went over to the pensieve and peered over the swirling silver mixture. Behind it, hidden from view was a small crystal bottle with a tightly corked lid. She carefully pulled it out, and tipped the mixture into the pensieve. She dipped forwards as she had done so many times this year, her nose just touching the surface of the water, and she felt the room move underneath her.

She was in the kitchen of 12 Grimmauld Place. Harry was standing watching the table near the cooker. Ginny recognised the place so well, her heart twinged, another thing gone, sunk into memory. His eyes were misted.

"Ginny?" he said uncertainly, looking at a point that she wasn't stood in; of course he couldn't see her. "I don't know why I'm doing this; it all seems so stupid now. But, but if I don't survive the war, I just wanted to let you know that I love you, and wherever I go, I will still. I want you to be strong for me. I want you to live my life for me, because… because I can't. I want you to be happy, remember all the moments we shared, every breath that we took while we were still together, and though you might have new memories fogging up the old, never forget that these were my last, and the ones I will remember forever. Please don't let them slip away." Both sets of eyes were now streaming with silent tears, this was the Harry Ginny remembered, and she knew that she would do as he said, and as the last memory ended as she appeared back in Dumbledore's office, she crumpled to the floor, her body unable to hold her under the weight of her grief.

Years later, the wounds began to heal. Though there was no longer any divide between the muggle and magical worlds, both parties still kept to themselves. Just under fifty years after the war, Hogwarts re opened, and many of her surviving classmates returned, as teachers. But for her, there were still too many memories there, and she couldn't live near his grave, it would be far too painful. She stayed in Ottery St Catchpole; it was where she had grown up. Her mother, now a widow, lived in their old house alone, on the brink of despair with the ghoul and her talking mirror. It was part of the scripture above the front door on the house of every surviving wizarding family in the world.

_For one we were divided, and for one we were united. One can save us all, as can one condemn us all. But the force of good is always stronger than the force of evil, the strength of love stronger than the strength of hate. And for that we shall continue to fight our way, for that we shall attend to move on. The brave will protect us as the wise will create new ways for them to, and even the coward can show his support by staying behind to congratulate and to spur us on. For in this battle, evil is outnumbered, and all of good can increase the number. In this battle we will prevail. In this battle, we will win. For we were protected and we were threatened by one thing, the boy with the scar…_


End file.
